In the year of 1884, a group of settlers from Nebraska, and Illinois of German and Swiss descent, came by train and wagon. There were some sixty families in this group. Among them were six or seven Ritter families, also, some Nagel and Munz families.

   They arrived in Antelope Valley and decided to start a settlement at approximately 27th St. E. and Ave. R. They called their settlement, "Palmental". In 1899, the name was changed to Palmdale.

   Quite a thriving community was formed. The village consisted of a livery stable, blacksmith shop, shoe shop (where shoes were made and repaired), stores, school, church, post office and real estate or land office. Their community was inland from the railroad, which was built in 1876 and ran where it does now, the depot was located farther south than it is now, and was called Harold. The old stage coach line running from San Francisco to New Orleans, ran along the same route.

   These families built fine two-storied homes and had farms of alfalfa, fruit orchards, and some vineyards; they also had their own livestock, such as horses, cattle, pigs and chickens.

   In the year of 1899, the old Palmdale site was abandoned and the Post Office moved to about 8th St. and Ave. Q-6 E. The people themselves left due to the fact that there was a lack of water and also because the land office could not furnish them with deeds after they had paid for their properties. Some of the settlers packed their belongings in covered wagons and moved on. Others stayed and moved closer to the railroad, but not quite on the present site (8th St. E. between Palmdale Blvd. and Ave. Q-7). The old school was moved to Palmdale Blvd. and 8th St. E. and still stands as part of the real estate office.

   The new and first real school was located near 6th St. and Palmdale Blvd., and was a two-story building from the first site, but this has been torn down. About six of the old buildings from the first site were moved into Palmdale, but most of them have been demolished long ago. There was a dirt road running through the Valley which was called the Mint Canyon Hwy. The paving was finished on it in 1921 and it was called the Sierra Hwy.

   During the depressions of the 1930's, the Valley was hit like the rest of the country, and so that the people might live, the WPA, (Works Progress Administration) was asked to come in, as it did in so many places and among the first jobs done was the first work on the Palmdale Airport. There were also some schools built and the PalmdaleLittlerock Dam. During the war, the Palmdale Airport was leased by the United States Government for $1.00 a year for the duration. About 1950 the aircraft plants took over the field and have moved portions of the plants here. These plants are presently (1970) located here: McDonald-Douglas, Lockheed, Northrup and North American. Also, several other major industries have located in the Palmdale district.

   There are several elementary schools, a high school, churches of every denomination and some very modern shopping centers now.

   As reported by the Palmdale High School Historical Society

October 1st 1971


YARNS AND TALES THAT WERE TOLD ME BY "OLD TIMERS" YEARS AGO

   Many people have asked for stories and tall tales. One good story that was told me makes us realize that real estate promotion 'has not been confined to just the last few years. We are all gullible, that is for sure.

   As I remember the story: One day shortly after the railroad had been built, some of the local cowboys were lounging about the station, when a parlor car, (containing a family), a flat car (with a good sized boat on it) and a box car (with a team of horses and a buggy) was switched off on the siding at the station.

   A well dressed gentleman in (eastern dress) got out of the R.R. car and came over to the men at the station and asked how far it was to the Big Rock River to the east. One of the men evidental~y answered the question by saying, "That perhaps it would be a good idea if the gentleman would drive over~there and see for himself as the cowboy had ridden across (what was Big Rock Creek) the river that morning and there was no water there."

   The surprised Eastener did just that and of course, found out that he had been swindled by some eastern sellers. They sold him a large parcel of land and told him that there was a river large enough for him to float and sail a boat. As the story went, the cars stayed on the siding for a few days and then were gone. Perhaps someone reading this can add to the story or perhaps refute it.

   Another story that I picked up was that at the Chicago Worlds Fair in 1896, pictures were shown of a man on a horse with the wheat or grain higher than the horses head. (The horse and man were in a depression or scale when the picture was taken.) So it was, or course' a fake picture but it evidently sold a lot of property to the gullible and the unsuspecting buyers. "As Barnum said, there is a sucker born every minute." My brother used to kid my about the land in Antelope Valley. Why I could have gotten a lot for every subscription to the L.A. Times that I bought. Also, my father-in-law bought what he thought was good level land near Barstow, but when he located it on the map, it was way up in the hills. My own father got pictures from the L.A. promoters at the turn of the century showing ships on the Los Angeles River.

   Another good story was told me about how Palmdale Lake was made way back when. It weems that way back in the times when the Missions were being formed that a priest was kidnapped by the Indians and taken to their village, some were in and about Lake Hughes. The Mission Father's dispatched a Capt. Sebastian with a small group of soldiers off to find and bring back this kidnapped priest. He traveled for many days and at last camped at the site of what is now Palmdale Lake as there was evidently some water there. The Capt. became so exasper-ated in not being able to find any kind of a trace of the priest, that it is said that he cried out "I would give my soul if I could find the trail leading to the finding of that priest". At that point, the Devil appeared and asked him if he meant what he said and the Capt. said he did. So he was immediately transported to a village where the Priest was quietly teaching the Indians and seemed quite happy.. On the return trip they again stopped at the same watering site and the Devil appeared and wanted to claim the Capt.'s soul, but by that time the Capt. had changed his mind. He made the sign of the cross with his sword and the Devil to escape dove into the ground. This caused a large depress-ion in the ground. The water rushed in and formed a small lake. Which was later on scraped out and made into a big lake. How do you like that for a yarn???? If the readers have stories or tall tales, send them in to the Valley Press and ask them to print them. I am sure they have space.

   Real Estate stories may be partly true, the lake story I do not know. But they make good conversation and ast some of the happenings and folk lore of days gone by.
J. Shelton Gordon

   Many more stories could be told, I am sure by our "Old Timers". Maybe these few will start the memory processes to work and bring forth some real good "Tall Tales".